Michael Jordan
(Born 1963)
Hall of Fame Induction: 2009
Card Shown:
2012-13 Upper Deck
Old School Signatures
Position: SG
Height: 6’6″
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Michael Jordan is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time. An incredible athlete, Michael won ten NBA scoring titles. He was also one of the greatest defenders in the game during his career.
Jordan’s slick moves and power allowed him to drive the lane and rise up for high-flying dunks that thrilled the crowd. Michael led the Chicago Bulls dynasty to six NBA championships in eight years. The only two years during this stretch where the Bulls did not win the championship were when Jordan retired for the first time to play minor league baseball.
Awards and Honors
- As a freshman at the University of North Carolina, Michael teamed with future Hall of Famer James Worthy and future NBA player Sam Perkins to defeat Patrick Ewing‘s Georgetown team in the NCAA championship game. Jordan scored the game-winning basket with 18 seconds left in the game as UNC won 63-62.
- Jordan won Olympic gold in basketball as an amateur in Los Angeles in 1984. He later returned to the Olympics as part of the Dream Team (made up of professional basketball players) which dominated the competition on its way to the gold medal in Barcelona in 1992.
- Michael and Scottie Pippen won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls, three before he left the game to try his hand at professional baseball (1991, 1992, 1993) and three after he returned to the NBA (1996, 1997, 1998) (with Dennis Rodman also). Michael was named the NBA Finals MVP during each of the Bulls six championship seasons.
- Jordan was a five-time NBA Most Valuable Player and fourteen-time NBA All-Star.
- Michael led the league in steals three times and was a first team All-Defensive Team selection nine times.
Points of Interest
- Jordan became known around the world as a result of his dynamic play and the growth of his “Air Jordan” brand. He was a top promoter for Nike and he starred in the movie “Space Jam” with other NBA players and Looney Tunes characters.
- Michael was chosen third overall in the 1984 NBA draft, following the selections of Akeem Olajuwon and Sam Bowie.
- Jordan retired with the NBA’s highest career scoring average at 30.12 points per game, barely surpassing the 30.07 career scoring average of Wilt Chamberlain.
- After his first retirement from basketball Michael spent a year playing outfield for the Birmingham Barons, a minor league club in the Chicago White Sox organization. In March of 1995 Jordan returned to the NBA and picked up right where he had left off – dominating the NBA and leading his Chicago Bulls to three consecutive NBA championships.
- Jordan later became an owner and executive for the Charlotte Bobcats.
Statistics
Michael Jordan Statistics
provided by Basketball-Reference.com